Airbnb compromises with New Orleans over rental regulations

Airbnb may have revolutionized the way people travel and find places to stay, but the company still struggles to find acceptance in cities with strict regulations over short-term rentals, not to mention the hotel industry. But that seems to be changing in New Orleans, one of locations where Airbnb has had difficulty in operating, as the company has reached a new agreement with city officials, conceding on a number of registration and regulation policies.

Most of the changes will apply to Airbnb hosts who offer locations for short-term stays. This includes no more short-term listings in the city’s French Quarter, the tourist-heavy area where the hotel industry has put up the biggest fight. There is also a maximum number of days that hosts can rent full houses, and the company will now collect local hotel taxes for short-term rentals.

Other changes will require New Orleans hosts to register and get permits from the city, while Airbnb itself will be giving hosts’ names and addresses to the municipal government. These agreements go against much of the policies Airbnb has operated under in other locations, and is even the direct opposite of the company’s stance in San Francisco, where it sued over local laws that require hosts to register with the city.

Airbnb may be changing its tune across the board however, as it appears to be reaching compromises in other locations as well. Just recently it began working with New York City officials after the state passed a law making it illegal to rent building space for any period under 30 days. The company sued, and now the state government is leaving it up to NY City to enforce the law under its own terms.